Multiple lamp socket



June 9, 1931. R. 1.. JOHNSON MULTIPLE LAMP SOCKET Filed March 51, 1928 RICHARD L. JOHNSON;

INVENTOR Patented June 9, 1931 U ITE STATES .PAVTENT' OFFICE RICHARD L. JOHNSON, OF FAIR-FIELD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE BRYANT ELEC- y i TRIC COMPANY, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUI A CORPORATION"CE CONNECTICUT MULTIPLE LAMP SOCKET Application filed. March 31,

This invention relates to multiple lamp sockets used in electric lighting. Among its objects are (l) to provide a multiple socket of rigid construction, capable of maintaining good electrical contacts between its conducting parts and of keeping the parts of the socket securely in position; (2) to produce a socket which, while attaining the above object, will be readily assembled from parts requiring few and simple operations for their manufacture.

The following description taken in (30111160 tion with the accompanyingdrawings will show the manner in which these objects are attained.

In the drawingsz Fig. 1 is a central vertical section through a socket embodying this invention; t

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same socket with a part shown in section taken on the line 22 ofFig. l; H

Fig. 3 is a view of the interior of a portion of such a socket;

Fig. at is a sectional view taken onthe line 4.4ofFig. 1. V d

The main portion of the socket is made up of three parts,the body member 1 and two lamp receiving sockets, 2 and'3'.- These three members are preferably of -moldable material having good insulating properties such as the commercial substance bakelite.

The body member 1 has around boss 1 on its upper side and a central opening 5 therethrough. The under side is recessed for the reception of the socket members2and 3' and theparts connecting them as described hereinafter. There are two' circular recesses 6 and 7 overlapping each other, toa slight extent at the mid-portion of the member 1 so as to be in communication (Fig. 3), and extending to the shoulders 8 and 9 respectively. These circular recesses are at an angle to the central axis of the member 1, the angle being] half the desired angle of divergence of the lamps. The lower edges 10, 11 of the member 1 are inclined at right. angles to the axes of the recesses 6 and 7 respectively.

The socket members 2, 3 are madetofbe interchangeable. They are substantially cup sha'ped, with'the closed ends 14, 15 bev- 1928. Serial No. 268,245.

alined' with the flat portions on the beveled i surfaces 12, 13, are rectangular recesses 16, 17 at the outer ends of whichare countersunk portions 18,19.

In the socket members 2, 3 are cup-shaped sheet metal shells, 20, 21 having flanges as at 41 in Fig. &, and adapted to receive the threadedplugof an electric lamp. These,

shells are held in place against the inner end of members 2, 3 by discs 22, 23 of insulating material secured in place by screws 24, 25. Between the heads of the screws and the insulating discs are secured the center contact pieces26, 27 The threaded ends of screws 24, 25 are received in threaded holes in the member 28. This member is stamped from I conducting material and is shaped as shown in Fig. 1 to bridge across from one socket member to the other. The member 1 is recessed transversely at 39 as shown in Figs. 1 and 3 to provide clearance on all sidesof the bridgemember 28. The ends of the member 28 are received in the recesses 16, 17 the turned over portions extending into the recesses 18, 19. The mid-portion of member 28 is arched to clear the juncture of the socket members 2, 3. This mid-portion has a threaded hole to receive the post 29 which extends through the central opening 5 in member land serves as a contact, a conductor and a means for holding the shell contact plug and the lamp sockets in position with respect to the body member 1.

Supported on the top of the member 1 and surrounding the boss 4 is a sheet-metal, screw-thread, shell contact plugv 30 which has at the top an inward flange 31. The in-- sulating washer orcap member 32 has a boss extending into the shell contact plug 30 and fitting snugly within the flange 31. The

member32 has a central opening 33 through which post 29 extends. The post 29 has a hexagonal head 3% which, when the post is threaded into member 28, engages cap 32, and the latter, by its engagement with flange 31, holds the contact shell 30 securely on the member 1. This threading of post 29 into member 28 also draws the two lamp sockets 2, 3, firmly into position against the walls of the recesses 6, 7. In this manner, the parts are held securely in position. The boss 4 centers the shell 30 and prevents lateral movement of it.

To effect conductive connection between contact shell plug 30 and the socket shells 20, 21, a member 35 is provided. This member is bent at one end to lie between the insulating disc 23 and the flanged inner end 41 of socket 21. The inner end 15 of socket member 3 has an opening through which member 35 extends. Socket 2 has a similar opening in the end 1% so that the sockets may be interchanged, but only one opening is used at one time in a complete fixture. The upper end of member 35 passes through an opening 36 in member 1 adjacent the boss 4. (Figs. 1 and 2) and is doubled over as shown at 30, the end of the doubled over portion resting on a shoulder 43. Preferably. the boss el has a flat portion 12 adjacent the opening 36 so that the doubled portion 10 will not distend the wall of contact shell 30 but still will fit tightly between the boss and the shell wall. The material used, that is copper, has enough resiliency so that this doubled por tion 10 presses tightly against the inner side of shell contact 30 and against the boss 4. The shoulder 43 prevents downward movement of the portion 40 so that pressure on it from the shell 30 results only in a tighter contact. The shell contact at this point has two notches 44, 45 between which the bent portion of member 35 fits snugly. This mounting of the conductor 35 ensures a good contact between the upper end of member 35 and the shell 30 and between. shell 21 and member 35 at the lower end.

Shells 20 and 21 are conductively connected in the following manner. A portion of the inner flange of each shell 20, 21 is cut to form a tongue, shown at 37 and 38, which is bent upward to extend through a suitably shaped opening in the socket end wall. 14 or 15. These openings are adjacent the flat portions of the bevels 12, 13 and parallel thereto. The tongue 37 has its end portion 37 bent over into the tongue opening in the socket end 14 while the end 38' of the tongue 38 overlaps the tongue 37 and extends into the tongue opening in the socket end 15, effecting thereby a good conductive contact between the two.

The assembling of the parts is readily done in the following way. Shell 21 is inserted in socket member 3 and shell 20 in member 2, the tongues 37, 38 extending at right angles to the flange ends 41 and through the tongue openings in the end walls 15, 14 respectively. The two socket members are then placed end to end in such a way that the tongue of each extends straight into the tongue opening of the other, the flat portions of the bevels 12, 13 being 211' ned. The sockets are then turned until the at portions of the bevels engage face to face, the tongues bending but remaining in overlapping i- Following that, the member 28 is put in place in the grooves 16, 17 and the screws 24, 25 are threaded into the holes provided therein. The whole unit produced thereby is then put in position in the body member 1. The doubled end 40 of member 35, when put through the opening 36, snaps tightly into place on the shoulder 43 and the bevels 12, 13 rest snugly in the recesses 6, 7.

Shell 30 is then placed over boss 4 with the notches 44, 45 engaging the conductor 35, and in that position it compresses the doubled end 40, making certain a good contact between the shell and the conductor and a firm securing of the conductor in plar Cap 32 and post 29 are 'put in place and post 29 is threaded into bridge member 28 until all parts are drawn into proper position with respect to the body member 1.

When in use, with shell contact 30 screwed in a lamp socket and lamps in each of the sockets 20, 21, the circuit through the fixture should be as follows: from shell contact 30 through conductor 35 to the lamp socket shells 20, 21 conductively connected by tongues 37, 38; then branching to pass through the lamps to the contact pieces 26,

27, thence through the screws 24, 25 to the bridge member 28 and post 29 which at 34 would be in contact with the center conducor element of the lamp socket.

It is understood that more than two lamp sockets may be used in a multiple unit embodying the novel features here disclosed and that variations may be made of the particular structure that has been described as embodying these features, all within the scope of the annended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is:

In a multiple socket, socket members having openings therein, shell contacts in said socket members having tongues extending 

